World Cup 64 RP Thread

by **Polar Islandstates** » Fri Mar 29, 2013 4:54 pm

He watched. He waited. He crossed his fingers, kicked every ball, headed every cross, and booted every clearance. But he did so from the sidelines. He'd prepared his players. He'd revved them up in the changing rooms, he'd drilled them on the training pitches, and he'd set them up tactically on the drawing board, but that's all he could do. Sometimes, as a manager, that's all you can do.

Morten Rasmussen checked his watch for what felt like the fiftieth time that evening. He was anxiously searching for his first win in charge of the Terns, and he was doing so at the Nasjonale. He'd managed there before, of course, winning the Latitude Cup with Axel Heiburg, and he'd been invited to watch a great many game there from the stands, but nothing had prepared him for this. Nothing. In Latitude Cup finals, the tickets are allocated fifty/fifty, and the noise of one set of fans was fought by the noise from the other set of fans. On those occasions, half of them wanted him to succeed and the other half of them wanted him to fail, and that was a situation he was more than okay with. The spice of life, and all that. But when he'd walked out for the kickoff at the start of the match today, the sound of thousands upon thousands of Twitchers all rooting for him and completely annihilating the sound coming from the handful of Bergnovinaian fans in the top corner had taken his breath away. For the domestic cup, the famous Ostkurven was cut in half. But now? It was a mass of green, navy, and white. Flares, scarves, jumping, and shouting. It was stunning. Rasmussen had taken Axel Heiburg to some of the most intimidating arenas in the Multiverse, but nothing had readied him for that.

The match itself had been a rather tense affair, the Terns' previous one-one draw in Qazox clearly weighing heavy on the players' minds as they attempted to get their manager his first win. Each team had gone close, but the time was drawing on and the score remained goalless. In his desperation, Rasmussen had thrown on three attacking substitutions, but still there was no breakthrough as the opposition thrust ten men behind the ball at all times. Clearly, a point from the Nasjonale was very much their aim for the day now their own attacks had been snuffled out.

Tick.

Tock.

Tick.

Tock.

Rasmussen checked his watch again. Surely time would be up any time now?

Alexsandr van Sorensen received the ball on the halfway line, taking up a much deeper position now with the wealth of strikers on the pitch. He looked up at the options as the Ostkurven roared him on. He laid it off to Kvitchenko who was running deep himself. Konovalov Kvitvhenko. Juul. Jagr. van Sorensen. Saarinen.

Saarinen.

Saarinen.

Rasmussen gripped his assistants' arm as he watched the ball leave Saarinen's foot. Time seemed to run in slow motion as the ball hung for an eternity in the air.

Yes!

Rasmussen ran on to the pitch and punched the air in celebration as the Nasjonale erupted all around him. The players piled exuberantly onto Saarinen in the corner of the pitch, and Steffan Pekarik had to be called back by the fourth official as he looked ready to run down and join them himself. Felix Saarinen had come on with five minutes to go and had curled a shot from the edge of the box into the top corner. There wasn't even time to take the re-start, and Rasmussen celebrated and fist-pumped in front of the cheering fans as flares were lit around him. The day was saved; Rasmussen had his win, the fans would be going home happy. Sometimes, as a manager, that's all you can do.

by **Kinitaria** » Fri Mar 29, 2013 4:56 pm

Continued from here.

"...hello, Mr. Kovraev?" continued the voice from the other end of the line. "I said we'd like to talk to you about your job application."

"Oh, yeah, sorry," blustered Milo, "have I got the job then?"

"Not quite, I'm afraid," replied the smooth female voice. "But we would like to ask you to come in for an interview. How's... the 8th, at ten a.m.?"

"That sounds fine," he tried to regain some composure, "I'll be there."

"Very good. Just let reception know you're here. Goodbye, Mr. Kovraev."

He stared at the phone for a few seconds. Then he noticed Dejan and Tomas were giving him apprehensive looks. "That was United," he explained to them. "Turns out they got my application after all. They say they want me to come in for an interview on the 8th."

The reaction to this was largely one of bemusement. "They didn't, surely?" exclaimed Tomas. "But that's just in two days!" Dejan added.

Milo could only nod in response. Yes, two days... and then he'd be facing an interview which could possibly leave him in charge of his beloved Lokani United. For the first time, a wave of doubt spread across his mind, and the thought what the hell are you doing also occurred to him. He did his best to ignore it, though. Even getting this far would be a dream for most people, after all. So it was his job to do his best at the interview, and then if he did get the job... well, that suddenly seemed a lot further away than it did before the phonecall.

It wasn't long before the train pulled into Lokani and the trio departed, making their way to their own homes for the night, still somewhat irate from having been denied the chance to watch their nation's opening game of the World Cup qualifiers. Still, there was something else on Milo's mind that night, and he began to have increased doubts. Not necessarily about his ability, but he wasn't sure how he'd be viewed by Lokani United club staff. And the players... then again, getting them to respond would be his task as manager.

The morning of the eighth dawned cold and frosty in the town, not an unusual occurrence in most parts of Kinitaria. Milo was up bright and early that day, and after rushing down a quick breakfast, made his way out of the door and down the familiar streets that he had walked hundreds of times before on his way to see his beloved United. Once more, he was on his way to Parc Alultorii, although this time for quite a different purpose. A potentially life-changing day for him, then.

He was familiar with every part of the exterior of this fine old stadium, from the old terrace, containing the distant memories of many dozens of historic matches, to the new main stand, completed just 19 months ago, bringing with it promises of a new dawn from the club's newly-installed administration... how hollow those promises seemed now. But this was not the time for reflecting on the inglorious history of his team. Walking through the glass double doors that brought him into the front lobby, he presented himself at reception.

"Hello, sir, can I help you?" the slim blonde receptionist asked in her formal, businesslike tone.

"Yes, uh..." He struggled to find the words, the situation suddenly hitting him like a freight train. "I'm here for an interview, I was told to come here for 10am? I'm Milo Kovraev."

"No problem, Mr. Kovraev," she replied, gesturing to a waiting area just off from the reception desk. "Take a seat and someone will be right out to see you."

He took a seat, but didn't have long to mull over his feelings, or indeed what he was going to say, before a door opened to the side, and a balding, rotund man emerged wearing what looked like a very expensive suit. Despite his appearance, he still radiated authority. Milo had never met the guy, but he knew very well who he was. You couldn't not, being a Lokani United fan.

"Ah, good morning, you must be Milo Kovraev," the man himself spoke, extending a hand which Milo shook. "I'm Kristijan Palkič, chairman and director of football here at Lokani United Football Club, and I'd like to welcome you personally to what I believe will be a fantastic new era for our club." He indicated the way with a nod. "Why don't you come into my office?"

Milo stepped into the spacious office and was astonished at the display of luxury that hit him, something that the chairman didn't seem to give a second glance. "Take a seat, we're very interested in your application."

Positioning himself uneasily on what seemed to be a very expensive leather chair, Milo nodded, that being pretty much all he could do.

"It's wonderful to finally meet you, Milo," said the chairman. "As you know, I own Lokani United Football Club. You're also obviously aware that we recently parted company with a manager and have only four days until our next game of the season, which is a fixture of some importance."

Milo nodded again. Of course he knew. Sosiyala Hosesti, away. A key relegation six-pointer. Lose and they would suddenly find themselves right up the proverbial creek.

"Some of the things that you described in such detail in your application really impressed the board. We're aware that you don't have any previous managerial experience..." he continued, putting what Milo thought was a particularly unnecessary strain on the last few words, "but to be honest, you're the only one who really seems to want the job. We didn't get a lot of applications, you see. What's more, you're a local lad, you seem very passionate about this club and you have some degree of tactical knowledge already..."

Somewhere in the back of Milo's mind, he knew that it all had to be rehearsed, but that really wasn't his primary concern at that moment.

"So it gives me great pleasure to offer you the job as manager of Lokani United. I'm sure you'll appreciate our financial situation, and so we can't offer you a great deal of money to play around with, but-" he produced a sheet of paper from seemingly nowhere- "have a read over this contract and see what you think."

by **Wight** » Fri Mar 29, 2013 5:11 pm

Link to Matchday Three scores

BREVITY-ESQUE CREATIVE CHALLENGES
Just for fun or inspiration, there is no disadvantage if you choose to ignore them.

Word of the day, from dictionary.com: Gaumless

Random quotation, from quotationspage.com: I have come to believe that the whole world is an enigma, a harmless enigma that is made terrible by our own mad attempt to interpret it as though it had an underlying truth. Umberto Eco

Interesting book title, from lulu.com: The General and the Frogs by Mirghani Hassan, if you're interested

Random Oblique Strategy, from joshharrison.net: Pae White's non-blank graphic metacard

Special day today, from daysoftheyear.com: Niagara Falls Runs Dry Day
Also, in many countries and particular religions it's a bit of a holiday. So a theme for the day is Small Furry Animals and Messiahs

Wiki-hiking, using Wikipedia's 'Random Page' function to start, and then using hyperlinks within the page to find something interesting, led me to this page in a single jump: Bolling v. Sharpe

by **Nenets Autonomous Okrug (Ancient)** » Fri Mar 29, 2013 5:16 pm

Church of the Rainbow Feet logo

Focus on: Bittersweet Shimmer, defender

Bittersweet Shimmer didn’t come by his name accidentally: it was chosen by the shamans of Amdema-on-the-Ice under a full moon in April. He had walked for days to reach the ice city, and by, were his feet tired. Also perhaps a little frostbitten.

His name was the colour of the sun as it set for the first time after a month of eternal sunshine above the arctic circle.

The monks of Amdema-on-the-Ice read men’s fates through the souls of their feet. The soul of Bittersweet’s feet that day was restless, striving. His feet called out for adventure and competition.

But he needed spiritual discipline first. So Bittersweet spent a month as a hermit, on the ice, fishing once a week to feed his body, thinking and dreaming around the clock to feed his soul – and the soul of his feet. He entered into the Church of the Rainbow Feet, the fastest-growing religion of the Nenets Autonomous Okrug.

Those feet could sure control a ball well. And so Bittersweet made the National Footballing Squad of the Nenets Autonomous Okrug.
When they boarded the plane for Akbarabad, it was the second time – after a Baptism of Fire outing to Liventia – that Bittersweet had ever left the Autonomous Okrug.

Liventia had been friendly. Akbarabad cast feat into the balls of his feet. With his feet, he could read the terror of that land, where every third person seemed to be a secret policeman informing on the other two to higher authorities. “Insert pithy remark here” the banner screamed as the National Footballing Squad of the Nenets Autonomous Okrug landed in Akbarabad City.

Under the desert sun, the National Footballing Squad of the Nenets Autonomous Okrug wilted. They were clearly outclassed. Their defence crumbled, as they allowed two goals – more than they had allowed in their entire footballing career to date. Two goals! It was a crime against Sirte the bear. Thje one goal managed by Ceru Frost for the National Footballing Squad of the Nenets Autonomous Okrug was little compensation for the crushing, unimaginable fact that the Autonomous Okrug had conceded not one goal – which had after all happened in a championship match for a minor tournament – but two!

Already, the calls are out for the dismissal of manager Suomi Li.

Bittersweet Shimmer’s feet say, if you know how to read them: “Maybe the old coach killed a woman, but at least she led us to clean sheet after clean sheet. Two goals permitted is an abomination.”

by **Khytenna** » Fri Mar 29, 2013 5:35 pm

RNC:SPORTS

Two famous home wins for Khytenna on a fantastic opening campaign

not in a long time has Khytenna been top of a qualification group, nor won two extremly important games, the first against Kiryu-shi demonstrated Khytenna tenacious attitude, never say die, as they pulled back from 3-1 at half time to win 4-3 (with a late penalty save in the last minutes) and the Mangolana game showed once again Khytenna can show dominance and the determination to win big

Khytenna - 4
Firestone 42nd, 57th, 77th
Loy 81st
Showman

Kiryu-shi-3
d'Arányi 12th, 22nd,25th

Khytenna is this game showed guts and determination to pull back the win, coming for 3 goals down to win the game 4-3, it wasn't rosey and it took a special save from Troy at the end of the game to stop a last minute penalty and great defending to scramble the following corner.

The game started well, but not for the home team, Kiryu-shi was first out of the box and first to get on the attack, it was in the 12th minute when d'Arányi got her first goal of the game, struck nicely from outside the box and it saled past the keeper. Khytenna a goal down at home and things where not looking good. Khytenna needed to respond, but simply failed to do anything to get back in the game, it cost them as d'Arányi would strick again ten minutes later, when McGuinness set d'Arányi again with her second, Khytenna's defence went into panic mod as, and soon melt down was imaninate as the the let d'Arányi get past the their defence completely unmarked to head home a cross to get her hat-trick and Kiryu-shi's 3rd of the game, they lead 3-0 and Khytenna where looking sorry for themselves.

its times like these that a captain needs to step forward to get the team motivated, testerman did this, he initiated a sudden come back before the break, Khytenna's move was fast and extremely effective, Testerman ran the ball from defence, running to the half way line, passing the ball quick to the falcon on the wing, he then smashed the ball in the box, where Firestone rushed though a gap to met the ball, Firestone chiped the keeper to get a goal back, the home crowd rose and screamed with delight.

Firestone got his hat trick in the second half, he score a great header for his second, he jumped for the corner cross and smashed it past Harris for a supreb goal, his third and the equaliser came from and pass across box by Waterson, great composer by the young Waterson not to go for it himself.

the Winner game From young Freddy Loy on his second appearance for Khytenna, it came from a free kick by Whitstock, who went for the top corner in a sudden kick at goal, the keeper kept it out, Firestone was there and tried to tap it in, but the keeper managed to get a foot on it, a poor clearance, gave the ball the Loy who took a chance and vollyed the ball in, the keeper couldn't get to it and goal was scored, the whole crowd erupted, they had done it! they had made a fantastic come back. but not all was over, Khytenna showman looked to have given the game away, as on the 88th minute he brought down Nakamura in the box and a penalty was given, he was given his second yellow and sent off, it was between Nakamura and troy, Nakamura tapered his run, but troy was unflinching, the ball went to the left, Troy pushed it wide for the corner, it was a great save, but the corner was to come, it was crossed in and the tall Bohannan headed away the cross, it nearly felt out for a shot, but Testerman was there to get the ball and punt it out. the game ended and Khytenna had the win!

Khytenna - 5

Testerman 2nd
Firestone 6th (pen)
Falcon 12th,
Carmichael 35th
Pellett 61st

Mangolana -2
Nena 31st
Fuller 45th

A game effectily won at half time by the stripes, the a clinical game where the goals came as team, and Khytenna with most coming from a team set up, Mangolana got two goals but where simply outplayed for most of the game as Khytenna surged forward to a dominant victory

within two minutes Khytenna got the first goal, it game from a qiuck corner taken wide by Falcon, it went to Testerman who looked to pass but manged to get in the box, he took a chance, the keeper was no way perpared and the goal was scored, Teserman looked surprised and elated at the same time as he his hand rose in celibration of the goal

4 minutes later, Khytenna's day got better, after Firestone scored a penalty after Pellett was brough down in the box, it was well struck as Khytenna got in there stride. Falcon would also add his name to goal after he struck vollyed a cross on the edge of the box, a well struck shot saw it fly past the keeper for Khytenna's third. After some Time, Nena got Mangolana first goal, he worked his way in the box and with a dummy pass he gave himself room to work the shot, Troy tryed to reach for it, but was just to far for him. a few moments later, Carmichael a few moments later got the 3 goal lead back when Pellett set him up in box when he past the ball just before the one on one with the keeper, Carmichael only needed to do a little run to get the ball, the goal was open and Carmichael made sure it went for the goal,

Moments in the second half, Mangolana got a shocking second goal after JD Fuller tryed his luck from distance, he ran down the pitch and got and 45 yards out from the goal before he struck it, twas a beauty as it went past Troy, who though it was going wide, instead (from help from the post) it went in. Pellett would smashed home Khytenna 5th in the 61st minute after hiting from a tight angle and cross from Kelly into the box, it went threw the keepers legs for the goal and Khytenna where 5-2 winners at home.

Khytenna might fancy themselves in the next game against Starblaydia, but with two 3-1 win under there belt, and a rock solid defence, the lads will have their work cut out against a strong side, a side that has been there, done that and got the world cup to prove it, but all they need to do is keep this momentum up, and who knows anything could happen!!

Khytenna's next line up:

GK 1. Roary Troy (34, Blue Bay AFC)

RB 5. Teddy Berkeley (24 Taevon central FC)
DC17. Nelson Bohannan(30 King’s District Athletic )
SW 3. Oliver Testerman ( 27 RGS Athletic , Eastfield Lodge ) (capt)
DC 18.Tao Xin ( 22, Kona Cove Sharks)
LB 23. Brian Bowman (25 Blue bay AFC)

RM 21. Noel Falcon (23, Forestbrook Foresters)
CM4. John Carmichael (27 Taevon Central FC)
LM 7. Trever Evelyn (22 Blue Bay AFC)

FW 9. Fergal Firestone (26 Blue bay AFC)
FW 10.Lini Pellett (25 San Jose Sharks, Northern Sunrise Islands )

by **Cassadaigua** » Fri Mar 29, 2013 6:11 pm

Wrong place at the wrong time,
by Ashley Barrett

Don’t feel sorry for me. There are a lot of people out there that have had worse things happen to them. I have had my moments, such as being part of the Di Bradini Cup 21 team (the only time a Cassadagan team reached the final of the DBC), and having a successful career in The Babbage Islands. I had a great time in World Cup 59, doing things that I was not supposed to do at only 18 years of age. Originally a reserve, I was promoted to the starting lineup due to other injuries on the team on the 11th matchday and proceeded to have success right away. The media was giving me all kinds of praise, and I landed a contract early on with TBI’s Fair Point Islanders. The sky was the limit, and I tried to keep a level head. When World Cup 60 came around, I was still only 22 years of age, and never lost sight of the big picture. I wanted to win a World Cup for Cassadaigua, and with that World Cup hosted by The Babbage Islands, where I had been playing, I was so excited to play that year. We had a great run then, and I even got a chance to blog once. I look back at my blog entry from that World Cup and I get a bit teary eyed.

I was 22. There was supposed to be a lot of time for me. We had a great run in World Cup 60, but when we came up short, there was always the next one. That’s what they always say in this right? Get ‘em next time? I was young enough, and ready to take on World Cup 61. That’s when things really began to change. I, stubbornly, did not pay a lot of attention to the domestic issues that the nation was dealing with, since I was playing professionally in The Babbage Islands. I was proud to represent my country, but once that was done, it was back to One Big Island, and not to Rushmore. As qualifying in World Cup 61 went on, the media interest in Cassadagan sports began to die off. It may have seemed it was on life support, but you could sense that something wasn’t right. We qualified for World Cup 61, and I have some good memories from it. However we could have done so much more. No big deal, I was still only 26, and surely by the time World Cup 62 came along, all those domestic distractions would be over with. There never would be a World Cup 62 for me. After sustaining a serious injury in an exhibition, I was advised by the trainers to sit that World Cup out. It was frustrating, but it seemed like no one even cared about World Cup 62 in Cassadaigua. The performance showed, as the nation failed to qualify for the World Cup, and did not even participate in the Cup of Harmony. Depressing, but I could at least one last shot at 34, right, in World Cup 63? You know what happened. The most unthinkable action by the Queen to not even participate in that Cup, as if our nation had just like, ceased to exist, or something.

I wanted to participate in World Cup 64 tryouts. I know I am 38 now, but why not? I submitted my application of interest to CASE (Cassadagan Association for Soccer Excellence), and felt really good that I would at least get the opportunity. Stacie Kerrigan-Fraser, a person I thought I had known really well, declined my application, and that was really difficult for me to have to deal with. I did talk to Stacie about it after the fact, and she provided her explanation to me as to why she felt it was best. I don’t really agree, and really think I should have gotten the chance, but that has just been what my story has been in the World Cup.

I can only wonder what might have been. What would have happened for me, as an individual, if Cassadagan sports did not immediately begin to go downhill in the middle of World Cup 61. We were a resurgent club there in World Cup 59 and 60. We were a squad removed from the glory days, but seemed to be the type of players that would be able to bring Cassadaigua back to the top of the mountain. Many of us went to a Di Bradini Cup championship game, that never happened before! Though we lost in the round of 16 in World Cup 60, we had a great campaign, and lost on penalties to the team that eventually won the whole damn World Cup. More great things should have been on our way. Myself, Zoey Anderson, Breanna Hawkins, and one of my best friends as I was rising through the ranks, Holly Sanders. We’d have been there in World Cup 62, and World Cup 63 may have been our swan song. Maybe fate had us being the team that would have stopped Audioslavia if we were to have stayed together. Audioslavia was supposed to lose to someone right? If they won the whole thing, doesn’t that just mean the team that was destined to beat them wasn’t around? (Ok so I kid a little bit to cheer myself up!) There’s nothing for me to do now for the national team. Brittany Lawton will do a great job coaching the squad, I’m sure. Please, just never forget us, that’s really all I can ask. I don’t want our teams to be the forgotten teams between when “Cassadaigua was last good” to the “New Cassadaigua”. Personally, I will go from school to school, college to college, and teach young people to capitalize on any opportunity they get as if it would be the last time they ever get that chance. Because even if it seems like there will be many more chances out there for them, I am a case study of how never to take that for granted.

Tonight, Polar Islandstates was in Concord Heights. I watched the game at home, on TV. I could have gone to the game, and will be at others. Sometimes though, it’s a little despressing, and I just think it is best for me to stay away from the stadium on game day. It was a hard fought affair, and our new players are doing everything they can to bring Cassadaigua back to being a feared nation in the World Cup. 77 scoreless minutes, you can’t ask for anything more. And it’s not as if we were sitting on our heels, weathering a sea of attack after attack from the Terns. It was an evenly matched game. Diedrich Kvitchenko took a nice shot. Nothing Lauren Kearns could do. The way we played breeds optimism that we’ll be back. Selfishly, I wish I could be a part of it.

But I realize, for me. I was in the wrong place, at the wrong time.

by **Perinpanland** » Fri Mar 29, 2013 6:22 pm

Breaking News!
Royal Address:

We, The Perinpan Delegates hereby apologize upon the delegation to everyone, The Perinpan National Soccer Team, The coaching staff, referees and most importantly the Perinpan fans for our ignorance in not clearly handing out much needed information. Every fan will be reimbursed for their travel costs and any other costs. However we can not simply reimburse the sacrifices that were made. Henceforth we will try to ensure that Perinpanland will qualify to the world cups and have our fans sitting in the front row! Here are the fixtures for the home game!

Because this is the Royal Empire: Games will take place across the empire. Here are where the matches will take place:

1. MD1 and MD11 New West Guiana at Perinpanland | Milchama at Perinpanland held in Futball Ship, Pirate Encampment. Located near the harbours of Pirate Encampment, The publicly funded stadium by both the Nethrezite Pirates and The Royal Government has funded a Soccer Stadium that floats on water. The stadium is actually a ship that is able to move and steered to any direction. The boat will not move during the game and any waves will not affect the game and wont even be felt. Only 48,905 people will be able to sit and watch the game with an additional space for 12,000 people to stand and watch and an area for the media.

2. MD3 and MD13 Secuelas at Perinpanland | Sprool at Perinpanland held at AA Stadio, Bernial, Venice, Perinpan Island. Located in the hustling city of Bernial, the old fashioned roman coliseum houses 62,893 seats and 20 box seats. Although the city is constantly upgrading, The stadio has been kept the same after many protests and sit ins.

3. MD5 and MD17 Free South Califas at Perinpanland | Euskirribakondara at Perinpanland held at Abdul Asiari Stadium, Alistania, New Saudire, Suadiarisistan. A new stadium with no use as of now. Perfectly modern and houses 106,435 seat also including 85 box seats. A brand new land found by Suadiarisistan. It is currently being developed into a new state.

4. MD7 Mesoland at Perinpanland held at Jalapeno Stadio, Spiceburg, Trinidad and Tabasco. This stadium is able to host over 98,683 seats as well as 112 box seats. Spiceburg is the sister city to the capital with the second most largest population. This stadio also host Spiceburg Red Tigers who recently were runner ups in the Trinidad Soccer League.

5. MD9 and MD15 Jeru FC at Perinpanland | Schmiegelland at Perinpanland held at "Royal Treasure" Gothamcity, Perinpanland. This stadium is able to hold 115 540 seats as well as 45 box seats and a media panel. A lot of money was spent on this stadium and was built as a gift to the Great Gotham. It is the current home for the Gothamcity team as well as the national team.

...More to come

by **New Sideburn** » Fri Mar 29, 2013 6:45 pm

RIK 1-2 NSB; reported by Matt Hope of the Brinemouth times
A dominant performance against Rikatan, winning from goals by Gerhard Thunder and Cheney Rosewood, was solidly secured yesterday, the only blemish being another failure to secure a clean sheet. This is curious in practice, with superb centrebacks and an equally superb goalkeeper; we interviewed Portia Thrift, who started on the night.
"Yeah, uh, it was the 84th minute and the game was basically ours, and one of their guys slipped their marker. It's just sloppy goals to that, to, uh, to set pieces in particular, that tend to get goals past us. And it's something we're going to need to patch up."
Goal difference in general is becoming a concern; of New Sideburn's last seven victories, all but one have been by a single goal. Gethin Ramsey has vowed to tighten up his team's performance in future matches.

by **Glascovia** » Fri Mar 29, 2013 6:54 pm

Slembana slams Glascovia
Cansæ, Glascovia
Last updated 29 March anno Imperii CXIX, at 20:21 (AOTC -0300)

Glascovia
Scorers
#21 Octavius Hadrianus
#22 Paullus Nævius

Slembana
Scorers
#?? Val Kylx
#?? Yuppë Tárnix
#?? Harry “Komodo” Young

Slembana dealt the Screaming Eagles a devastating blow today, defeating Glascovia 5–2.

Glascovia's defeat occurs despite an extremely strong start to today's match, which saw Hadrianus and Nævius each scoring a goal within the first twenty minutes. While Slembana's Kylx managed to get the ball past Atticus at the thirty-two minute mark, the Screaming Eagles remained confident going into the second half of the match.

However, halftime seemed to rejuvenate a lethargic Slembanian team, which mounted one of its characteristic blitzkriegs against a startled Glascovian defense. Tárnix scored two goals in rapid succession shortly after play resumed, giving Slembana a narrow lead. Walcott lead the vanguard of a bold Glascovian drive towards the Slembanian goal line, but his advance was stymied when Adobe unexpectedly tackled him in the penalty arc. Though the referee penalized Adobe with a yellow card, the interruption proved devastating to Glascovia's momentum, and the Screaming Eagles were quickly beaten back.

"Children's stories can prove remarkably educational, even to adults—and the Screaming Eagles could afford to reread the fable of the tortoise and the hare. Glascovia suffered from a classic case of overconfidence today," wrote a Aquæ Flaviæ Herald-Tribune op-ed after the match. "We would do well to not take success for granted simply because the first half of the game went in our favor."

Young scored yet another goal for Slembana at the eighty minute mark, bringing the score to 4–2. Slembana netted its final goal via a penalty kick awarded after Yossarian was given a yellow card for taunting and screaming obscenities at the Slembanian team.

"Clearly, today's match did not unfold in Glascovia's favor," Coach Oppius Accius Crispian told the GBC after the game. "But I know that those boys played their hearts out today, and that's all we can really ask of them. I'm confident that Glascovia will come out ahead tomorrow."

However, Coach Crispian was less charitable vis-à-vis Yossarian's foul at the tail-end of the match, which only compounded Glascovia's loss. "I will not tolerate my players just handing goals to the other team—rest assured, I'll be speaking to Yossarian about this misstep of his."

"Tensions run high out on that pitch," James Yossarian, FC Cansæ's most notable defender, told reporters at a post-game press conference. "I certainly regret letting the Slembanians get the best of me, but I challenge anyone to play against them and not lose their temper. Let's face it, that 'Komodo' Young of theirs was gloating insufferably—why he wasn't yellow-carded escapes me, but who am I to question the referees? At any rate, I intend to redeem myself tomorrow—not a single ball will get into our goal on my watch. That's my promise to the Empire."

by **Schmiegelland** » Fri Mar 29, 2013 7:01 pm

With the National Team's third loss in a row, the head coach decided to use the younger players, the untested players, and the previously unfit players in the team. The coach decided that the current squad was too good to win. Next, they had to concentrate. The team were going to play. They were going to win. And they would eventually find the fighting spirit to go all the way to the cup.

Schedule

MD 1- @Free South Califas= L 1-0
MD 2- vs. Mesoland= L 1-0
MD 3- @Jeru FC= L 5-2
MD 4- vs. Milchama
MD 5- @ Sprool
MD 6- vs. Perinpanland
MD 7- @ Euskirribakondara
MD 8- vs. New West Guiana
MD 9- @ Secuelas
MD 10- vs. Free South Califas
MD 11- @ Mesoland
MD 12- vs. Jeru FC
MD 13- @ Milchama
MD 14- vs. Sprool
MD 15- @ Perinpanland
MD 16- vs. Euskirribakondara
MD 17- @ New West Guiana
MD 18- vs. Secuelas

All home games will be held at Smiley Stadium, Sjandle City, Schmiegelland

This is the schedule for our fighters! We are playing our next match at home against 2nd placed Milchama, the we travel to 10th placed Sprool.

Schedule for MD 4

Perinpanland vs. Sprool
Schmiegelland vs. Milchama
Euskirribakondara vs. Jeru FC
New West Guiana vs. Mesoland
Secuelas vs. Free South Califas

Table through MD 3

Group 18                            Pld    W   D   L    GF   GA   GD   Pts 
 1 Mesoland                              3    3   0   0     7    0   +7     9
 2 Milchama                              3    3   0   0     8    2   +6     9
 3 New West Guiana                       3    2   1   0     3    1   +2     7
 4 Jeru FC                               3    2   0   1    11    5   +6     6
 5 Free South Califas                    3    2   0   1     3    2   +1     6
 6 Euskirribakondara                     3    1   0   2     5    5    0     3
 7 Perinpanland                          3    1   0   2     2    4   −2     3
 8 Secuelas                              3    0   1   2     1    5   −4     1
 9 Schmiegelland                         3    0   0   3     2    7   −5     0
10 Sprool                                3    0   0   3     2   13  −11     0

That's it for today folks! Come back tomorrow for the game recap of Schmiegelland's game with Milchama. Until then, this is SSC, signing out.

by **Qazox** » Fri Mar 29, 2013 7:15 pm

Afer a scoreless draw at Charruterra, Qazox came home to New Bruxen Hotel and Casino Field to face Leorudo. The game started great for the Eagles as Erika Bastille (25th minute) and Jesse Hilton (30th minute- PK) scored to give the Eagles an early 2-0 lead. But an injury to Seth Toffler in the 62nd minute, allowed the visitors 28 minutes of 11-on-10 play and they took full advantage, wearing down the weakened right side of the defense. In the 71st minute and 84th minute, set pieces off of Qazoxian fouls on that side allowed Leorudo free reign and they tied the match.

With 3 straight draws to open play, Qazox needs to get a win soon or else their chances of qualifying will be getting very slim.

STATS (Charruterra Game)
Possession
QZX 53.3%
CRT 46/7%

Shots
QZX 17
CRT 13

On goal
QZX 8
CRT 2

Corners
QZX 6
CRT 2

Fouls
QZX 16
CRT 12

Cards: Charruterra (88th minute- YELLOW)
Attendence: 49,380
Referee: Jason Hopley, (The Inevitable Syndicate)

STATS (Leorudo Game)
Possession
LEO 49.3%
QZX 50.7%

Shots
LEO 13
QZX 17

On goal
LEO 4
QZX 6

Corners
LEO 3
QZX 4

Fouls
LEO 28
QZX 29

Cards: Leorudo (30th Minute- Yellow) Qazox: Remy Folk (78th minute-Yellow)
Attendence: 77,403
Referee: Ludo Hotten (Wight)

by **Filopines** » Fri Mar 29, 2013 7:44 pm

Smart, Dumb and Funny
Continued from previous one...
(Mark walks out of bathroom)
Mark: How long was I in there?
Kate: Don’t worry, Aaron. The people that make the crosswords are gaumless anyway.
Mark: Did you hear that?! Uh, babe… what did you say about the crossword makers?
Kate: They’re gaumless. Why?
Mark: Wh..wh..wh..who even uses that word?
Kate: Everybody uses it.
Aaron: Only ‘wahzoo world’ people use that word.
Kate: People do use the word gaumless!
Rachel: Like who?
Kate: Tons of people, Rachel! Like…um…. Luke McJohn!
Mark: Who’s Luke McJohn?
Aaron: The President of Filopines!
Mark: Once again, how long was I in there?

*at Luis and Julie’s apartment*

Luis: Hey Julie, I’m gonna go shoot some hoops. See ya.
Julie: Wait. You know I’ve never understood basketball.
Luis: (sigh) Not again.
Julie: Seriously, hear me out. What the frak is a dunk? Is that some weird sporting statistic that no players even do?
Luis: It’s another name for a pass.
Julie: I don’t believe you. I’m going to ask Mark and Aaron.
Luis: Alright.
Julie: Besides, I thought you were football players. Shouldn’t you be practicing football? I mean, you drew 2-2 with United Gordonopia.
Luis: United Gordonopia is 29th in the world.
Julie: I don’t care. You’re not even doing well. Stephen’s doing all the work.
Luis: Enough about Stephen Cayley. It’s not like you’re dating him.
Julie: I am dating him. I should actually ask him! Thanks Luis!
(Luis grumbles)
(Julie goes next door and knocks on Kate and Rachel’s door)
Julie: Hey, Kate can I use your phone? Mine isn’t working.
Kate: Sure.
(phone starts to ring)
(Aaron stares at Julie)
Julie: What’s wrong, Aaron?
Kate: No! Don’t ask that!
Rachel: Don’t you know him?!
Aaron: (frowns) Sutoon ma (Filopinian for “shut up”)
Julie: (rolls eyes) Sorry…
(phone picks up)
Julie: Hey baby.
Mark: Hi!
Julie: (shocked) Mark?! Is that you?
Mark: (sniggers) Yes.
Julie: Hello, newborn. (angrily) What are you doing at Stephen’s house?
Mark: Can’t a man hang out with his captain?
Julie: Well, put him on!
(phone disconnects)
Julie: What is wrong with Mark.
Kate: He always does this kind this stuff.
Julie: Well if he does it one more time, I’m going to put my middle finger up his nose, well put on gloves first of course.
(Kate and Rachel agrees)
Julie: Twist it around, take it out then put my whole fist up and keep on twisting until he dies.
Aaron: (smiles) Hey it’s the cat food commercial!
(TV: Smelly cat, smelly cat, what are they feeding you)
Aaron: (hysterically laughs) Smelly cat! (continues to laugh)

by **Gaveo** » Fri Mar 29, 2013 8:16 pm

Past Editions of the Gaveoan Times:
And so it begins...
We tied, but not against the Polar Islandstates
Victory!

The Gaveoan Times

Two in a row!

Anders Ericksen best goal in Gaveoan history?

By: Beni Cortez

The Gaveoans packed in Estadio Cadiz watched a thriller of game as Gaveo beat Advenia 1-0. The game started off with Gaveo trying to score goals from the 9th minute to the 34th minute, all of them blocked by the Advenian goalie. One attempted goal was blocked when the goalie's back was against the incoming shot. Then just before halftime, the Advenians made a massive counter offensive and almost scored two goals. From the 46th through the 86th minute both teams had roughly equal about of position of the ball and both teams made amazing shots that were blocked by the goalies of both teams. Everyone seemed to shine execept for Sebastian Cadiz as he was missing sure shots and made the wrong passes, Anders Ericksen subsituted Sebastian Cadiz at the 87th minute. Shortly thereafter Gaveo took the lead with a amazing bicycle kick from substitute from Anders Ericksen. He received the ball from Une Yabro and kicked the ball into the net, the over-aggressive goalie was caught off guard and couldn't block the game winning goal. 1-0 Gaveo. Next week we face, Phalnia which won against the battered team of Catholican Catholica, 1-0. Remember we face Phalnia and as always go Gaveo!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A Player's Journey

Cadiz, Gaveo
April 5th, 2028
Westing Hotel (Team Hotel)

Sebastian was pissed at himself, he was glad that his team beat Advenia but he couldn't get over the fact that he played one of the worst games ever in international play. But he quickly gained composure, he couldn't be selfish and complain about his own failures, overall his team did great. All he could do is to get better, and he started doing that, after his mandatory break he trained with the team, when team practice ended he practiced by himself. He ran miles, shot so main balls, at one point he even got his brother Joaquin to pass the ball with him. After a whole day of practicing on his own time he felt nearly ready for the match.

The next few days...

Sebastian continued this practice regimen till the last day of practice before the match, he felt ready, in fact he never felt this ready for a match than any other time in his life. He was ready to win. Ready to redeem himself. Could he do it? We and Sebastian himself will find out when the ball rolls on the pitch and the fans of both teams roar in the stands...

by **Kinzar** » Fri Mar 29, 2013 8:22 pm

Sold out Crowd in Hudson? For Soccer? Really?

Amazingly, Hudson Stadium was filled to capacity for the Wildcats game against the Princesses of Jeruselem. This amazed everyone associated with the team as there seemed to be a heavy walkup line for tickets the morning of the game. It was a very young crowd, too, mostly college students and teenagers who attended the game in droves. Stadium officials say that prior to this morning, they had only sold 37,000 of the 72,291 seats at Hudson Stadium, and that the box office personnel were unprepared for this mad rush, but handled it very well. Late last night, an internet feed went viral across Kinzar on an old "Naked News Jeruselem" report, and just like that interest in the match went through the roof. Said Peter Knight of the University of Taylorsville, "Man those chicks are cool. It's spring break so we're like screw it, lets go to Hudson and watch those hotties play!" Rachel Glover, of Hudson, despite being female, agreed, "I love that women can play and they have no inhibitions. How freakin' cool is that? I just had to go to the game." At the game, Kinzite fans were not as interested in rooting for the Wildcats (much to the frustration of the Wildcat players) as they were in chanting comments/lame pick up lines towards the Jeruselem players. Earlier you may recall we quoted Matthew Brown of the Kinzar Soccer Federation and how he has hopes that soccer will grow in popularity throughout the country. He declared this a great victory, "We sold out in Hudson! Fans had a great time! We can do this, we can be a soccer nation!" Evidently, Brown had no idea that the people went to see hot girls, and didn't really care about soccer. For those who cared about the actual score, Kinzar was defeated, 1-0.

by **United Gordonopia** » Fri Mar 29, 2013 8:27 pm

Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.
-Psalm 27:14

"So remind me again why you don't drink."

He grinned. Clearly he got that question a lot. "Well I'll tell you one thing: contrary to popular belief, faith has nothing to do with it. Tell you what, I'll give you three guesses."

She smiled, chuckling a little before taking a swig of the scotch on the bar table in front of her. "All right, we'll play it your way, Captain. Hm... doesn't exactly enhance your combat skills?"

His smile told her that she was incorrect.

"All right then. How about... it held you back in football?"

"Well, I suppose that could have been the case," he replied, "But no. You want to try for a third?"

"Well..." Her expression became a bit more serious, "You lost someone?"

Norm Bates nodded.

"Oh. Who was it?"

Norm hesitated. Though he had long since put those demons to rest, the story always brought with it a pang of sadness. Still, he had known Eliza Banner for a few months, and if his feeling were at all serious, he figured it would be best to put it out on the table. "My father. He didn't drink much; some Republican bigwig murdered him when he was drunk. Got away with it, too, until the War."

"I see." For a moment, there was silence. Should he had tried to steer the conversation somewhere else? No. "If its worth anything, I lost my kid brother like that. Well, at least, some MP thought that it was a good idea to hurry to a hearing after having a few too many shots. They couldn't even arrest him until after it was done thanks to all those damn protections they put on their people. As you can see, it wasn't enough to make me dry up, but I feel your pain."

So they had something in common. Perhaps he could roll with it.

"It was ridiculous the things they used to get away with. He was just coming back from a football match. His best game ever. Even had a GFA scout there. The Tolten cops covered it up because they knew the guy was going to high places, and they wanted something to keep him in their pocket."

"He played football too?"

"Yeah, and he was damn good at it. If he'd been born outside the armpit of Gordonopia, maybe he would have had a chance. I didn't know how I managed to luck out. Took me until now to realize that it was God that was on my side."

"So did he inspire you to take up the game? Your dad, I mean."

"In a way, yeah. I guess his memory took me places he never could have imagined?"

Norm's reminisced for a brief moment, though Eliza brought him back to the bar. "Like the World Cup, eh? Tell me, what was that like? The eyes of the entire nation, the entire world on you?"

"Hm... I guess this answer might surprise you, but I'm going to have to go with humbling. Making it to the Cup itself had been everything I had been working towards for a decade. Making it to the semi-finals was just icing on the cake. I think it was after we beat The Holy Empire that I truly realized I had gained everything I could out of the spotlight. The only other thing I had done that had meant something to me was serve back in the War. That was when I decided I wanted to return."

"You know, you're playing them again. Hosting them at Empire in two days."

"Yeah, I noticed. They're going to be out for blood this time. That loss knocked them off the top of the world rankings."

Eliza nodded. Just about every Gordonopian knew that it would be a hell of a battle if they managed to put up a fight against the number two team in the world. Their current campaign wasn't exactly off to a roaring start; a win and two draws, against some of the lower seeded teams in the group. It would take everything the Gordonopian team had to come out with a draw, and a bit more to come away with the full three points.

"You know," She begin, "I used to play football. Was pretty good at it too."

"Did you?" Norm asked, surprised that he hadn't heard before, though he could see it in her.

She smiled, a bit of nostalgia coming through, "Yep. Played at NUG, too, for the women's side. Won the championship even. If we'd had a decent professional league for women, I would have been there. Somehow, though, I ended up with this lot. And oddly enough, I guess, with you."

So she had been an athlete too. Norm's earlier hints of attraction seemed to swell inside. When he had first met her, he knew that there was something special in her. Hell, there was something special in any women who managed to make it into the Arbitrat of Force, as a field operator no less. One thing that had never changed in Gordonopia was its leanings towards men; while other civilized nations had long ago given up patriarchy, it seemed ingrained in Gordonopian culture. A few women, though, still managed to thrive, and one who had shown herself to be such a damn good soldier, a sniper to be specific, that she was the only female in the field for the Empire's elite black operations unit deserved a lot of praise. The fact that she'd proven her talents in Norm's other world made it all the better.

Norm had been pondering over the past few days whether he should make a move or not. Since returning to New München from the Northern Mountains, he'd had little to occupy his time; it would still be another week before all of the brutally damaged hard drives they had captured were ready to be explored. Now, though, the doubt was gone. The time felt right.

"Yeah," he began, "You know, we should do this again some time. Maybe even as more than just as friends."

Time seemed to stop as he waited for her reply. Seeing her smile drop caused his heart to plummet with it.

"I..." She began, her voice and expression seeming torn. "I don't know if that's the best idea. I had a great time, but... I just don't think it's a good idea."

Norm could tell that something was bothering her. She wasn't turning him down from lack of attraction. There was something more.

"Well... if you ever change your mind, you know where to find me."

"Yeah," She said, standing up to leave. "I think I had better head back to my quarters. I'll see you around."

As she was leaving, she stopped for a moment to say one last thing. "I really did have a good time."

Norm gave a half-hearted smile as he nodded. Certainly not the way he hoped the night would end. What could it be that was holding her back?

by **Saintland** » Fri Mar 29, 2013 8:49 pm

Alessandro Seius hurt, Saintland loses to Soviet Canuckistan 5-0

(SP) Following 2 consecutive wins to open up their World Cup qualifying campaign, things were looking up for the Saintland National Soccer Team. Then, they traveled to Soviet Canuckistan. Although Soviet Canuckistan is so disorganized that they haven't even sent out a roster, they have a tough team as the Sanctii found out today. Although the match was scoreless at the half, Alessandro Seius hurt his ankle while walking into the locker room for halftime and could not continue on. That opened the door for Antonius Avidius, who conceded 5 goals in the 2nd half. "My injury was a disaster for our team. Antonius [Avidius] tried his best, but he just wasn't prepared to handle the competition at this level. I was just walking into the locker room prior to halftime when I took one bad step and I felt severe pain in my ankle. The pain lasted through half time, but by the end of the match I was able to walk yet again. I want to apologize to everybody in the Kingdom. I wanted to play, but I wasn't going to step onto the pitch on an injured ankle and risk further injury. Because I took a cautious approach, I will be able to play tomorrow when we host Krytenia." - Alessandro Seius

The first half saw the match get bogged down in midfield. Not much happened that was interesting. Matthaeus Belaeus got a yellow card for fouling one of their midfielders, but the 1st half was mostly uneventful. Right before halftime, Prince Andreas had a shot on goal off a long pass from Georgius Catiotus. The Prince hit a great shot, but the keeper made a spectacular save to deny the Prince of Saintland. At half, the match was tied nil to nil.

Then, Alessandro Seius, the great goalie for the Sanctii got hurt walking into the locker room. He tried to go, but Prince Andreas removed him as a precautionary measure. Antonius Avidius was brought on as a substitute. It didn't take long for Avidius to concede a goal. In the 47th minute, Avidius conceded a goal. When he conceded a 2nd goal in the 53rd minute, Prince Andreas got desperate. He removed the Poenius brothers and brought in both Paulus Gabinius and Ioannes Gratus. Saintland switched to a 3-3-1-3 formation.

Things went from bad to worse following the formation shift. In the 59th minute, one of their midfielders got through on a goal that was insufficiently defended. Avidius made the save. However, following the save he fell backward and dropped the ball. It rolled in the back of the net and Avidius was charged with an own goal. Soviet Canuckistan would add more goals in the 68th minute and the 83rd minute. When it was all said and done, Avidius had allowed 5 goals in a nightmare half of play and proven himself to be an inept keeper.

That wasn't the only bad news for the Sanctii. Belaeus would get a 2nd yellow card in the 62nd minute on another overly aggressive tackle. The National Team was left with just 2 defenders on the pitch for the remainder of the match. As a 2nd yellow card in the same match is equivalent to a red card, Belaeus is suspended for the next match against Krytenia.

Next up for the Sanctii is a match at home against Krytenia. The forecast for tomorrow in Saint Petrus says that there will be snow, but the match will be played at Royal Stadium regardless of weather conditions. Despite the cold weather, a sellout crowd is still expected to be in attendance. Krytenia is currently tied with the Sanctii for 4th and 5th in Group 2 at 6 points. Soviet Canuckistan leads the group with 9. Audioslavia and Kinitaria are tied at 7 points each. Alessandro Seius will return tomorrow against Krytenia. Marcus Jucundius will start in place of the suspended Belaeus.

Royal One - Postgame Interview

Following the defeat to Soviet Canuckistan, Abraham Volusenus was in the Royal One studio in St. Petrus, as he prepared to interview Prince Josephus, the captain of the Saintland Ice Hockey team that won a silver medal at the Winter Olympics in City Centre.

Abraham Volusenus - A disastrous loss today for our Kingdom. If Seius had not gotten hurt, we probably would have held on for a draw. I hate to dwell on that when we have a special guest today. He is the twin brother of Prince Andreas. Yes, I'm talking about Prince Josephus, the goalie for the Saintland Ice Hockey team. I wish you could have been here on a happier occasion, but it is still an honor to be able to speak to you.

Prince Josephus - Thank you Abraham. I'm always willing to speak to Royal One.

Abraham Volusenus - I assume most of the viewers at home would prefer to hear about anything other than soccer right now, so we'll talk about the latest breaking news. Today, King Paulus XV announced that the ice hockey team would be competing in an upcoming field hockey tournament in preparation for the Olympics. Who exactly came up with the idea to enter the ice hockey team in the sport of field hockey?

Prince Josephus - That was my father's idea. When the King comes up to you and tells you that you're going to represent our Kingdom, you don't turn him down.

Abraham Volusenus - What exactly is his motivation for entering a field hockey tournament? To the best of my knowledge, nobody in Saintland has ever competed in that sport before?

Prince Josephus - Its part of his goal for what he's calling the "Summer of Saintland." He wants us to dominate the Olympics this year and win as many medals as possible. Since we won a silver medal in the Winter Olympics, he wants us to win another medal in the Summer Olympics. If field hockey wasn't an Olympic sport, we wouldn't be participating in that tournament.

Abraham Volusenus - Speaking of that silver medal, does that 3-0 defeat to Valanora in the gold medal game still bother you?

Prince Josephus - Yes it does. We went in overconfident and we got beat. This summer, we will redeem ourselves by bringing home the gold in field hockey.

Abraham Volusenus - Let's talk about your older brother Petrus. What do you think of the Gridiron team's chances in the upcoming Baptism of Iron?

Prince Josephus - I'd say they're probably going to win the whole thing. I can't believe how versatile they are on offense and with Didius calling the plays, that defense will be a nightmare for their opponents.

Abraham Volusenus - All of that is probably more pleasant to talk about, but you are here to talk about the soccer team. You watched the match on TV with the rest of our Kingdom. What happened out there today?

Prince Josephus - Seius got hurt and the entire team collapsed. Avidius just isn't very good. We need a new backup keeper.

Abraham Volusenus - Those sentiments are probably shared throughout the Kingdom. What about the possibility that it was just that he was nervous?

Prince Josephus - That's entirely possible. He's never played internationally before. Hopefully Andreas will talk to him and tell him to be ready in the future. We can't afford to blow more points because of an inept keeper.

Abraham Volusenus - Well said. Your twin brother Andreas captains the soccer team. What is it like being captains of separate sports teams?

Prince Josephus - In school, nobody could tell us apart. By choosing different sports, we were able to assert our separate identities. I could have been a soccer goalkeeper, but I chose ice hockey because I've been skating since I was 6. Andreas was never really comfortable on skates.

Abraham Volusenus - He probably doesn't want you to tell that story on Royal One. One final question.

Prince Josephus - Go ahead.

Abraham Volusenus - What result do you expect tomorrow when your brother's team faces Krytenia?

Prince Josephus - I think it will probably be a 1-1 draw. I wish I could say I think we'll win, but I expect Krytenia to pull out some late equalizer.

Abraham Volusenus - I want to thank Prince Josephus for speaking with us. Up next, Royal One presents the day before Easter tradition. The Passion of Iesus Christus is next.

Sister Polus's Thoughts

This Sanctustube video featured a nun talking. However, this was not just any nun. This was the most famous nun in Saintland.

Hello. I am Sister Maria Polus, the High Inquisitor at the infamous Progress High School in St. Ioannes village. Before I arrived, Progress High School was a den of iniquity. This school for foreign residents was "teaching" immorality to the unfortunate children that attended it. Then, our King, Paulus the Fifteenth, issued a Decree to restore moral standards among the foreign residents in our Kingdom. I was appointed as the High Inquisitor at the most wicked "school" in all of the Kingdom because the King knew I would see to it that things got cleaned up. I have done exactly that.

But, I am not here today to talk about how I put a bunch of spoiled foreign resident brats in their place. I am here on Sanctustube today to talk about our underwhelming performance in sports recently. Recently, our Kingdom's Ice Hockey team came up short at the Winter Olympics. That was followed by an awful performance at the World Baseball Classic. In the Baptism of Fire, everything went right until we ran into New Sideburn and that wicked nation, where alleged "ladies" actually play sports against men, actually beat our Kingdom's team. More recently, we faced them again prior to the start of World Cup qualification and they beat our Kingdom another time. Recently, a bunch of evil women who will burn in the fires of Infernus sent a team to compete in some immoral "sport" called korfball. They won that tournament.

But, the Kingdom of Saintland's sporting fortunes truly hit rock bottom with today's 5 to nil defeat at the hands of Soviet Canuckistan, a defeat brought about by a fluke injury to the team's goalkeeper. What exactly is going on lately? Has God forsaken us? Is the Church of Saintland not the True Church of Iesus Christus?

I'll tell you the real reason why Sanctii athletes keep suffering disappointment after disappointment. It is a warning from God that we are drifting away from the Faith and we are slowly sliding into iniquity. We have grown overly proud. We have become too focused on ourselves and not focused enough on our Heavenly Father. We are a sinful people that faces divine judgment, for our wickedness has grown to be great. God has forsaken us because we have not been true to Him.

I tell you today that there IS a way out. We can embrace God's will. We can become pious once again and fill up the Churches on a daily basis. We can increase our tithes to the Church. Husbands can refrain from exercising their right to "know" their wives. We can be more polite to one another and we can do more to help one another. If we repent and we pray to God for forgiveness, he will forgive our sins and he will heal our Kingdom. If we continue down our current path, we will continue to face disappointing defeats. May God bless the righteous and may God curse the wicked. Thank you for watching.

by **Jeruselem** » Fri Mar 29, 2013 10:00 pm

Princess Katy and Emily Sallad in Kinzar, after beat the locals 1-0

Katy: Wow, the locals were really friendly
Emily: Yes, but I suspect they were not watching the game for football
Katy: The home side didn't seem to get a lot of real support
Emily: More interest in your boobies
Katy: I guess the local team got a boost with a full house
Emily: I suspect it's not going to happen again unless more girl teams show up

Katy: What's the locals nickname?
Emily: The wildcats or something
Katy: Dunno, more like pussycats
Emily: I guess they like us
Katy: Unlike some places ...
Emily: I know where you mean

Katy: So sign any autographs?
Emily: Yeah, which is weird to me.
Katy: You're a good looking girl. Don't put yourself down like that.
Emily: I don't have sex magnetism like you do
Katy: You can work on that
Emily: Don't think hubby would like that

Katy: Not many oldies in the crowd today
Emily: Yes, all looked like young adults. About your age.
Katy: Looked like college students too
Emily: And a lot of teenagers
Katy: We connect with young crowd
Emily: I"m not that young anymore

Katy: I guess you have to use before you lose it
Emily: Not that I was ever a sex goddess by any means
Katy: Anyway, I have to sign more autographs
Emily: Girls seem to like you
Katy: Maybe I represent something they don't have here
Emily: I guess so

Katy: Good to see Jeru FC kick butt
Emily: I think they'll be fine
Katy: Anyway got fans to please
Emily: I'm sure
Katy: Not that kind of pleasing
Emily: Just being silly

by **Jeru FC** » Fri Mar 29, 2013 10:25 pm

Melody Pond and Queen Isabella I of Jeruselem (aka Claire)

Claire: Pondy, great work by the girls today.
Pond: Thanks but I'm just the coach, the girls deserve the applause
Claire: I do find you a bit funny though
Pond: Why is that?
Claire: You hang around people who love attention but don't seek it
Pond: I like being in their shadows

Claire: I don't have a choice
Pond: But you're our leader, you can't really hide from public attention
Claire: I tell ya, every week the tabloids have some juicy goss on me
Pond: And it turns out to be wrong
Claire: Mainly because they confuse me with the other Princesses sometimes
Pond: SO you're not having a baby then

Claire: No, that's someone else in the family
Pond: I just hide bebind Princess Melody
Claire: You can't do that all your life
Pond: She doesn't seem to mind
Claire: That's because she's an attention whore
Pond: So is most of your family

Claire: I'm not
Pond: Except when you're drunk
Claire: Well, that's different ...
Pond: Well, I don't like getting drunk either.
Claire: Yes, you dance on tables.
Pond: Um, well ... I guess so

Claire: Nevermind, keep up the good work
Pond: Am I going have team next cup
Claire: I don't know, I hope so
Pond: I mean I'll be unemployed if I don't
Claire: We'll find you a job, don't worry
Pond: We've had so many budget cuts recently

Claire: I dunno, the military get plenty of money ... I don't understand
Pond: Well, they aren't spending it on Jeru FC for sure
Claire: I'm sure they are spending it somewhere
Pond: I mean, we've dropped rank so badly while Jeruselem is doing better recently
Claire: I know, it might look like your fault. But I know you don't have a lot of money to spend
Pond: And how come my assistant has to work for free?

Claire: Really? That sounds stupid. No one would want to work for free.
Pond: So no one applies for a position where you don't get paid
Claire: Good thing the good Princess doesn't need to get paid
Pond: She sure earned her money recently
Claire: Oh yes, she had to reschedule everything for like 18 games. Yikes, that's a pain.
Pond: I wouldn't have coped.

Claire: That's why you have an assistant
Pond: Thank god too.

by **Lalo Limahina** » Sat Mar 30, 2013 12:07 am

OOC: Again using a provided theme. This time, "Small Furry Animals and Messiahs." Creds to Monty Python's Life of Brian, too.

"And the lord thy god said upon to thee, "I --------"
*CRASH*
*Followers gasp*

"Is, is he ok?"
"Our preacher, is he ok?"
*pause*

"Look, look! There's something stirring in the rubble!"
"Is that...?"
"Is that a head?"
"Yes, but it appears small-ish."
"And furry."
"It's... wait..."

"A weasel."

"Unto me, believers, I ask you to put your faith. For I am your messiah and leader."
*gasp*
"The messiah! The messiah!"

*a man comes running up from the side of the crowd*
"No, no, no! That was me, not the weasel. Honestly, people, do you think weasels can talk?"

"Weasels can most certainly talk," said the weasel.
"The messiah! The messiah!"
"No, I'm not the messiah. I'm just a weasel."
"Then how come you talk? No weasel normally talks."
"Actually, we do. You've just had your heads too far up in the clouds to notice."
"Forgive us, dear leader. What shall we call you?"
"Don't call me anything! I'm not the messiah!"
*pause*
"Only the true messiah would deny his powers."
"No, no no no n------"
"THE MESSIAH!"
"Bloody hell, people. I'm not the effing messiah! You're all individuals."
"Yes, we're all individuals," said the crowd in unison.
"Think differently. Don't follow me, follow football or something else."
"What is this football?"
"A sport, played with a ball. Now go and find it somewhere and follow it fanatically."
"Yes, o great one. We shall go."

And this is why, to this day, the most hardcore Lalo Limahina fans are called Weaselites

by **Antoletia** » Sat Mar 30, 2013 2:13 am

"What the hell was that performance by the Fire Ants."

"What."

"They tied at home to Camerania."

"To who."

"To whom, and that is my point exactly."

"What the frick, isn't that two home ties now?"

"Yeah, they are a better team on the road so far than at home."

"Thats some right bs that is."

"Yeah. Jeez, i mean you got to get what you can on the road, but they really bucked the trend winning on the road, sucking at home."

"Well so long as they pick up points on the road, tying at home does not hurt so much."

"Yeah but still. Gotta win in front of the fans, who cares if you win in Narnia, most of the time that probably won't hurt your chances of going places, its those home dropping of points that hurts."

"Yeah."

"Anywho another day another point i guess, a point a day can go along way."

"Yeah."

Goalscorers

Filip Constantinescu - 2
Gheorghe von Leeweounheouck - 1
Raphael - 1

by **Taeshan** » Sat Mar 30, 2013 2:39 am

Another day another win. Sadly though it did not come easy as the Purple Knights faced a strong performance from a surprising foe, Kaledor. The Knights lost their season cleansheet bid in three games, six less than a year ago, and almost lost the game. In fact they were down for almost 60 minutes of the game, even though looking back its hard to believe. A surprising first 10 minutes of play gave Kaledor a early lead in the 7th minute after Ryleigh Voegael managed to clear a save into the path of a striker who headed the ball into the net. He not only shocked his team, but he quieted a sellout crowd. The fans though were quick to get back on the offensive, yelling chants for the whole 90 even though at times it seemed all hope was lose.

Now if you know anything about Taeshani soccer they play a great defensive game. At times the play is a chess match, the Knights control the ball. Kicking it around lulling you into a false sense of security. Just when everyone in the stadium, the announcers, and the other team are falling asleep a quick attack is made. This happens throughout the game, not a lot of success, but hey if you only let less than one goal in a game on average you can afford to not score a lot. Today though the Knights seemed frantic through halftime, calming a bit after the half. It took awhile but eventually they got their rhythm back. And then pounce, a goal. And it came from an unlikely source, Tyler Icicle. Scoring his first goal in the Purple and Gold, Icicle brought the fans to their feet in the 70th minute. Belief was restored. The hope for the winning goal blossomed through the stands.

It would take another grueling 20 minutes, but late in the game a brilliant chance came. A free kick from the side near the corner flag after a dastardly tackle. Setting up for it was Gwyn Juniper, after a nifty kick who other than Ender Wiggin headed it into the back of the net. On a goal a game pace in qualifying Wiggin continued to show why he might quite possibly be the best forward in the world. Newsflash people if you already didn't know, Ender Wiggin is the real deal, even though at times he doesn't show it. The crowd erupted. The Kaledorans fell to the ground in disbelief as the whistle blew. Late heroics are always the best. If your listening god its me, thank you.

Goalscorers
Ender Wiggin - 3
Aaron Conrad - 1
Tyler Icicle - 1
Gwyn Juniper - 1

by **The Inevitable Syndicate** » Sat Mar 30, 2013 3:28 am

The Inevitable Syndicate 0 - 3 Western Cuba
Syndicate: None / Western Cuba: Moreno 15', 71' , Kartashov 40'
Another unfortunate loss at home this time for the Syndicate, as they faced Western Cuba and lost 3 - 0. It seems that defence just wasn't on point in the Flynn Arena, and our players were a bit lackluster. The Cubans had many shots on target, but a majority of them were blocked by Archer. A few key shots were let in, however, as Moreno score in the 15^th after a free kick that really knocked the Syndicate down a peg or two. During the first half, there were many advances made by our players, even a corner, but none of them were fruitful. The one thing that really seemed to annoy the fans was when the referee for the match, Jacques Hollandstein of Lymantatia no less, refused to believe the Syndicate had scored a goal when they had. This riled up the Syndicatians to no end, and actually made Jacob Pratt so angry he got a red card, and was sent off. The Cubans started cheering at this, and Pratt had bottles thrown at him as he walked off the pitch.
It was still all downhill from there, as two other goals by Western Cuba in the second half really sealed the fate of the national team. Flares lit by the opposing side covered the stadium in a cloud of smoke, making it very difficult to see across the whole city. By the end of it, both teams were very tired and annoyed with each other, and didn't even shake hands as the Syndicate left the pitch. Could this be the formation of a bitter rivalry? Only time will tell. This loss has pushed the Syndicate down to seventh in the group, with an abysmal three points after three games. They'll really have to buck up their ideas in the next game against Lacus Magni.

Chapter i. Negotiations
Chapter ii. Raiders of a Lost Art
Chapter iii. Some Assembly Required

An Inconceivable Truth
A Story of Syndicatian Climate Change

Chapter iv. The Syndicatian Intelligence Agency

The team stepped into the lift of a rather dreary but expansive office building in Fligsive. While it wasn't a state of the art island or anything, or a lucrative bunker deep underground, the headquarters of the Syndicatian Intelligence Agency was fully functional, yet unknown to almost every nation in the region. Except Vilita, of course. Jones suspected that at least a quarter of the Agency were actually Vilitan spies. It didn't matter though, as they were all good at what they did. The lift finally stopped, and the team of eight - Dr. Bones, Andrew Browne, Stephen Jones, Raymond Yarsley, Laura Verreau, Thomas Burke, Claire De Toiles, and of course, Agent 9¾, stepped into the office of L, overseer of the goings on in the SIA.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, this is an important mission, as you know. It's come from the top, right from Andrew Browne himself! Who is, of course sat right there."

The Administrator of The Inevitable Syndicate gave everyone a wave.

"Now, you've all been briefed, but I'm here to dole out roles." L said, as he grabbed a pen. "Right, Chess Team, you are on recon. I want to know everything there is about the area we are going to visit, and when our agent is down on the ground, you are his eyes. I've commissioned a non-lethal quadrotor drone for usage in Ahlenfi - you will be controlling that. If word gets out that we're stealing an artifact from Ahlenfi, all hell will break loose. Not only will Ahlenfi be annoyed, but I can guarantee you many other nations will want a piece of the action. Probably for unscrupulous means, as well."

Yarsley sighed. He was really hoping to actually go to Ahlenfi. He needed a new summer hat, and the ones sold in the bazaars were of really good quality. He figured he's ask Craig to bring one back for him.

"Now, Jones and Browne - You sirs, are on propaganda duty. We need to make sure that people don't get too concerned about the climate change that's going on - so we need speeches from you lot that everything will be fine. We also need to pull the wool over Ahlenfi's eyes - make then think we aren't conducting operations there. Which is why we need you to schedule a visit."

Andrew also sighed. He didn't like Ahlenfi food, and the Emir was a terrible man who was always hitting on Andrew's wife. If he wasn't the leader of a better country, she probably would have left him for the Emir many years ago. Still, at least he wasn't going to West Guiana. They probably wouldn't even know who he was, or they would at the very least confuse him for an "evil dictator".

"Dr. Bones - Research. You will be working with us to find the exact location on the Meteoricon, and helping Agent 9¾ with any troubles he has getting it. You will be in the field, as I'm sure there's a lot more to find in Ahlenfi then there is here."

Dr. Bones was very pleased with this. "Brilliant! I love fieldwork!"

"And last, but by no means least," L said, "Is you, Agent 9¾. You will be tasked with actually finding the Meteoricon, and arranging for it to be transported to the Syndicate. Should be simple enough, as nobody knows this is going on. You will be transported there as a bodyguard of Andrew Browne, but after that, you have free reign on your mission. We'll all be here to support you. Understand?"

Craig Daniel looked at L with a smile. "Yes." He said. "Considerably."

"Fantastic. Now, those of you who are leaving, go and pack. The plane leaves at 8pm tonight.

by **Mapletish** » Sat Mar 30, 2013 3:47 am

Matchday Three: Mapletish 6–1 HorusLand

Finally having a chance to play at home, the Lions made good use of their chances. Arriving later at the St Traffortan Stadium, the showers didn't dampen the spirits of the team as players like Junio and Enkainia were full of vigour as they were seen doing tug-jumps when they alighted from the team bus. Manager Janette looked serious as she kept her face low and deep in thought as she walked out first from the team bus reading her notebook along the way towards the dressing room.

Di Natile walked with Junio as they made their way to the dressing rooms, Di Natile broke the silence between the two. "Excited about the match dude," Di Natile started the conversation first. Junio took off his headset and hung it onto his neck, "Every well, fancy banging in a few goals today, you?" Di Natile adjusted his sleeves of his track suit and look towards Junio, "Yeah me too, fancying myself of assisting some beautiful goals."

As the team settled down in the dressing room, Janette started her pre-match briefing and her seriousness could be felt by everyone in the dressing room. A win was all that Janette expects as she made it clear in the pre match briefing.

The match started with the Lions taking control of the match on their home ground. Junio set Mapletish on their way with the opener after 32 minutes before adding a well taken shot five minutes before half time.

A Junio penalty, a clinical Ai Jing finish and a pair of long range strikes from captain Gosta Esbjörn piled further misery on the HorusLand players, whose only response came from a Player 10 header with the last kick of the game.

Junio made his return to the starting lineup after appearing for 30 minutes in the previous match while Di Natile came back into the attacking midfield position in place of JH Morison who failed to shine in his chance the previous match.

Mapletish threatened first during the initial stages of the match, as Enkainia header just over from a well placed clip from Di Natile, who was set up in space by Ai Jing.

Player 10 later proved himself to be a handful as the visitors looked to attack through the long ball early on, the strike nearly broke free on more than one instance but the close attentions of Jaimie and Taylor were enough to stop him in his tracks both times.

Mapletish soon came to terms with HorusLand’s direct approach though with strong response to prove their superior passing and movement on the ground slowly wrested control of the game back into their favour. A particular part of the match that amazed the Fireykop as winning was what came on everybody's minds.

The hosts thought that they had a penalty on the half hour mark as Junio went down under pressure from Player 3, who had initially lost the ball, but instead, the referee decided to show the Home United forward a yellow card for diving. Much to the protests of the Fireykop as they blasted the referee for his weak decision.

But Junio would not let that decision faze him, and two minutes later, he drove Mapletish into the lead after latching on to a through ball in the box by Ai Jing and driving his finish right into the roof of the net. He came forward to the sidelines and silenced the crowd before running back to the pitch and formed a triangle with his fingers in dedication to Ai Jing's pass.

HorusLand struggled to recover from the setback, and their task was made that much harder five minutes before the interval as Mapletish hit them for a second, as Junio came up with the goods once again. And once again it was the perfect linkup between Ai Jing and him as they exchanged a couple of one twos as Junio made the final strike and drove the ball into the net.

A fantastic counterattack later saw Enkainia leading the charge, spreading the ball wide to Mei Kei, who in turn swept to Di Natile on the edge of the box, despite a precise finish into the far corner, Player 1 managed to tip his hands on the ball as he made a fine save.

Any hopes of a comeback from HorusLand were put to rest once and for all during a blistering 15 minute spell to start the second half. With 55 minutes gone, Gosta was brought down by Player 2 inside the area, and Junio stepped up to calmly send Player 1 the wrong way from 12 yards out. With the drumming of the Fireykop, Junio did a simple tribe dance before a spectacular somersault to end his celebration move.

It was 4-0 three minutes later, a perfect combination and connection between Ai Jing and Junio showed as AI Jing latched onto a through pass from Junio, rounded Player 1 and slotted home despite the angle diminishing by the second.

Gosta added a fifth almost instantly, volleying home from outside the box after Player 4 had failed to properly clear a clipped ball into the area. it marked his first of the two long strike series in the match against HorusLand.

By that point, HorusLand were battered into submission, as Mapletish took their foot off the gas, meeting little resistance when they leisurely probed in the opposition half. Passes were then played around at a slower pace as the players looked to play the ball round the backs to let the defenders get more touches of the ball.

Gosta put the icing on the cake with seven minutes remaining as he drilled a well placed shot in at Player 1's near post from outside the area as the visitors looked to finish completely in control. It meant well that his strikes were still on standard after scoring his last goal for Mapletish almost 7 World Cup cycles ago.

But a small crumb of comfort spilled HorusLand's way at the death, as Player 10 forced Sapphire to tip around the post, then headed home the resulting corner to finally give the home fans something to cheer. The win saw Mapletish being sent top in Group 12 with a maximum nine points gained in three matches, continuing on their perfect start to the qualifying campaign. Top seed Gyatso-kai hangs lazily at fourth as they bounced back with two wins after a opening day stunner against the Lions.

by **Paradystopia** » Sat Mar 30, 2013 3:55 am

It wasn't too long a drive for Kharamhan to reach the known haunt of Viola Prel and now it was a journey he needed to take. If there was any form of foul play going on in Paradystopia, Viola knew about it. How could the police and the media be so gaumless? Accidental death, death by misadventure ... yeah, right ... explain how he managed to have signs of trauma on both the front and back of his head. Of course the police would invent a fantastical reconstruction whereby he'd managed an amazing feat of self-harm. Less trouble for them and in truth, if they did know the full story it was probably best they steer clear.

He pulled up outside the club. 'The Vixen Vault'. Sheesh, how he wished they would change that name ... Turning up his coat collar to counteract a biting wind, he entered the world of Viola.

Viola Prel was an interesting lady. If she chose, she could've been a lawyer, a rocket scientist, a brain surgeon but for some reason she decided to make a living baring her body to the wealthy businessmen of Paradystopia in a dank, seedy club. In some ways Kharamhan was glad of this, Viola was a powerful ally. She used her body to coerce various dark secrets from these rich morons and then her brain to use this information for maximum impact. She also had a good knowledge of a great many martial arts should anyone think they could take advantage. The words 'femme fatale' didn't do her abilities justice.

Kharamhan strode past the bouncers, mimicking their piercing stares. He could have them both incapacitated before they even realised. Lumpy mounds of fat, just there for the general aesthetic. Noting his advance, the barman gestured up the bar with his eyes. He knew Kharamhan and he knew his 'favourite girl'. 'Another poor sap hooked up on Viola', he thought. Ignorance is indeed bliss.

Viola was sat in booth, surrounded by corporate suits. She giggled coquettishly at all their repugnant anecdotes and made crass flirtatious comments. Such was her way, she could've been an actor too, if she so wished. She noticed Kharamhan.

"Kharri! Hey sugar. I'm certainly making a monopoly on tall, dark and handsome gentlemen tonight."

The suits all laughed, leering over her. She lapped it up. Kharamhan just felt uneasy. Even though she seldom needed it, he always had a compulsion to protect her from the grotty world she had immersed herself in. Viola could read it in his eyes and offered a comforting smile. Part of her charm was her ability to make you feel as though you were the only person she had any interest in. She stood up and spoke to her throng of sycophants.

"Darlings. I'm afraid I have to leave you. Kharri and I have important matters to discuss."
"Yeah baby, I've got an important matter for you."
"Me too, beautiful."

Kharamhan suppressed a want to break jaws. How is it that some of the richest men in Paradystopia have the mentality of sexually frustrated teenagers? Viola had squeezed her way past the men who surrounded her, taking special care to maneouver herself so as to rub up against each man individually. Then the mistake was made. The final businessman on the end of the row reached out and grabbed her buttocks. Like lightning, Viola spun, grasped the offending hand and bent it in such a way that another degree or two and his wrist would snap.

"Aaaarrrggghhh!"

She leant in close and whispered into her assailant's ear

"Naughty boys get punished. Next time, it may be your neck ..."

There was a muted crack and the man screamed. Viola relinquished his hand and it flopped unnaturally provoking the man to scream more frantically. The bouncers ran over, well, wobbled over quickly.

"Take Mr. Zevik to A&E please darlings. He had a little accident."

Nodding, the doormen escorted Mr. Zevik off the premises. Kharamhan chuckled as did some of the other businessmen who had witnessed this sort of thing before, some even carried the scars of previous advances. There were never any repeat offenders. Viola blew a kiss to the remainder of her followers and then took Kharamhan to a private booth.

"So ... Tarquihn Dultsabjr. That is why you're here?"

Kharamhan nodded.

"Communadi secret agent and that's all I know."

This took Kharamhan by surprise. Viola knew everything ... or so he thought.

"You see darling. Those Commune guys are too morally righteous to enter an establishment such as this, as are most of those connected to them. If you want my opinion, and I know you do honey, someone is trying to get Commune influence within the Paradystopi government. We both know Tarquihn had his egregious methods of using money to influence policy and thus get the law to protect his assets and back his expansions. Someone wants in on that and have effectively removed their competition. They're also using the World Cup as a distraction and don't forget, a lot of Tarquihn's money was invested in the Khollozium vo Sabrjk."

Kharamhan took all this in. It didn't really give him anywhere to start.

"Have you met the heir yet?"

A raised eyebrow indicated he had not.

"Harrison Khett. Nephew to Tarquihn. Left him the whole lot which has really pissed off his nieces. Probably keeping the archaic sexist bullshit alive, you know. Whether he's a suspect is doubtful. He's only recently out of university and has no known link with the Commune."

Kharamhan pulled out a pen and reluctantly took a piece of tissue paper from a dispenser in the booth. Sometimes he really wished Viola worked in a coffee shop.

any actual suspects then?

"Alright dear. Let me think. The only potential Communadi agent I know who's apparently in the area is Tau Azrak."

Kharamhan stared blankly at Viola. His mind shot back to Rhekia. Viola leaned in towards him nonchalently displaying most of her cleavage.

"Why do I get the distinct impression that you're going to tell me something for a change?"

by **Barunia** » Sat Mar 30, 2013 4:12 am

BNN Sports News Update: WC64 Qualifying - Game 3 Stats
Lalo Limahina 0-1 Barunia
Sagoro '85

GAME 3
Michelangelo WIllans
The striped flag went ahead of the Suns as they walked onto the pitch at Lalo Limahina. Willans hated it. It stood for everything Barunia was not, or at least hadn't been. But now it was the emblem of Barunia. Now Michel understood what Joric had meant when he'd said they were playing not for Barunia, but for the Suns. This new Barunia did not deserve their loyalty, or their glory.
Willans wondered what Ruskin was doing now. He hoped he'd come back.

Joric Ruskin
Heavy rain poured down on Marion Island, making driving treacherous. Joric peered through the window of his old Archer sedan, trying to read the road signs. He was unfamiliar with this part of the island, and his destination was hard to find.
Inside the car, the sounds of football commentary could be heard coming from the radio, struggling to be heard over the sound of the rain. Joric caught the phrase "about to begin," and turned the radio up.

"As the teams come out, let's look at them. No changes for the Suns from last week's game. Victor Castolo will be captain, as Ruskin's not back yet, and still no word on his location. Pacifique will start once again in defence for Barunia…."

Joric winced at the mention of his name. So the news had gotten out that he'd left. He wondered if they were looking for him, and wether or not they knew he was in Barunia, or thought he was still in Powersith. It didn't really matter. He'd found the road he was looking for, and with every kilometre he drew further away from the life he had known. On the radio, the commentary had changed.

"Something's happening on the pitch. Well this is bizarre. As soon as the Barunian anthem has started, several of the Barunian players appear to have collapsed, although they're waving away medical attention. They seem fine, they're just….sitting down while the anthem is playing. I've never seen anything like this before. The other players are just walking around, talking to each other. No one seems interested in the anthem at all. This is completely bizarre, I have no idea what has got into the player's heads…."

Joric grinned. He knew exactly what that was about. It was the new anthem that had been playing, the anthem of the Republic of Barunia. The sit down was a protest, a message to the people back home, and to the world, that the Suns did not recognise the new government. "Long live the Federation" muttered Joric under his breath.

The road was long and windy, and littered with fallen branches. The going was slow as Joric steered carefully around the obstacles, going slowly on the slick road. The game on the radio was occupying only a small part of his concentration; nothing much of interest was happening. Only a few shots had been made by both sides, with neither finding the target. Half-time had passed, and the game was approaching it's conclusion when Joric spotted the lights. Slowing down, the radio once again grabbed his attention.

"Nice lobbed ball there from Montoya, puts Zokora in some space. Has a shot, kept out by Maod…Sagoro! Sagoro swoops on the loose ball and puts it away, and Barunia have the lead with five minutes left …."

"Yes!" Joric shouted as he pulled up to the boomgate across the road. Winding down the window, he could hear the game playing from the security office as the guard opened his window. "What do you…hey! You're Joric Ruskin!"

World Cup 64 RP Thread

Matchday 3: Mapletish 6–1 HorusLand

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